The name Hector derives from the Greek verb meaning to hold or possess. This root suggests a man who holds fast during siege or one who possesses princely status. Archaeological evidence shows the name existed during Mycenaean times on a Linear B tablet. A servant named in that tablet bears the spelling of this ancient name. Moses I. Finley proposed the Homeric hero was partly based on an earlier Theban hero of the same name. Ancient sources describe him as dark-skinned and stoutly built with wooly hair. Other accounts claim his complexion was fair with curly hair and attractive blinking eyes. These conflicting descriptions highlight how different cultures viewed the Trojan prince.
Family And Domestic Life
Hector wed Andromache at the gates of Troy while carrying their infant son Astyanax. The baby cried when startled by his father's gleaming bronze helmet. Hector removed the armor to embrace his wife and child before leaving for battle. He prayed aloud to Zeus that his son might become more glorious than himself. His parents King Priam and Queen Hecuba pleaded for him to take shelter within city walls. They knew Troy would fall and feared the gloomy fate awaiting his family. Andromache warned him that her husband would die if he left the safety of the ramparts. She spoke of slavery and death waiting for them in foreign lands. Hector comforted her with the idea that no one could take him until it was his time.Military Campaigns And Duels
Hector killed Protesilaus during single combat at the start of the war. A prophecy stated the first Greek to land on Trojan soil would die immediately. Odysseus threw his shield out to trick the gods into sparing another warrior. Hector fought Ajax to a standstill when the sun began setting over the battlefield. Apollo intervened to end the duel after Ajax crushed Hector's shield with a rock. Later Hector donned Achilles' stolen armor to rally the Trojan forces against the Greeks. He smashed open a gate with a large stone while calling on troops to scale the wall. The Trojans set fire to Protesilaus' ship despite Ajax killing everyone who tried to bring fuel. Hector eventually laid hold of the vessel and ordered his men to burn it down.